Back in 1974, writer Francis Ford Coppola, hot off "The Godfather" wrote the screenplay for Paramount's big budget adaption of F. Scott Fitzgerald's THE GREAT GATSBY.
Robert Redford is Jay Gatsby, Mia Farrow is the object of his desire, Daisy, living across the lake from his massive estate and married to philandering husband Tom (Bruce Dern).
Gatsby and Daisy were an item many years before but she would not commit to him because he had no money.
Now the richest, best looking dude in the Hamptons is back for her.
All of this drama is narrated by Gatsby's middle class neighbor Nick Carraway, well played by Sam Waterston.
And what melodrama it is. Redford certainly looks the part, and we KNOW he can be charismatic, think of him in Butch Cassidy and The Sting. But here he is just dull.
It's hard to blame him when he is playing off the overacting, manic, unlikable Farrow as Daisy.
Karen Black damn near chews all the scenery down as Dern's mistress, everybody seems constantly bathed in sweat and for all the money poured into the film, only the costumes look expensive.
It's really hard to believe Coppola wrote this adaption, some of the dialogue and transitions are painful.
Glacier paced, horribly edited with jarring mood changes and not likely to be on anyone's acting resume, The Great Gatsby sits on the screen like week old champagne. Looks pretty, no fizz.
A yawn inducing C-.
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